The mighty Celtics misplaced their A game last week somewhere between Los Angeles and Portland and showed up last night at the Garden eminently beatable.

But if the Knicks could fold up against Minnesota and Indiana, when would the Jell-O in their knees resume wobbling against the NBA champs?

It never did. The Knicks pointed the long Jared Jeffries at Rajon Rondo, relentlessly defended, went to the basket for 36 points in the paint and previewed the way MSG could be in 2010, largely through the efforts of a guy who actually still will be here when it comes.

“Wilson Chandler can shoot it, can handle it, can pass it,” said Chris Duhon. “He rebounds, knows the game, should get better and better.”

Than the last three games? Wow.

Chandler scored most of the big points down the stretch in the win at Charlotte, exploding to the basket to beat Indiana, until Jarrett Jack stole back the game.

“Wil’s been ice the last few games,” said coach Mike D’Antoni, and last night Chandler threw in some third-quarter smoke – 15 of his 31 points – to turn a five-point deficit into a 10-point lead and ultimately a stunning 100-88 victory.

Chandler has an explosive first step. With Danilo Gallinari’s season and perhaps a lengthy career in jeopardy, Chandler has become the first step for the Knicks on the way back to contention, not just because he can score inside and outside but because he has no fear of hard work in addition to having no fear of Garnett.

“I don’t think he realized he was finishing on Garnett and (Kendrick) Perkins,” laughed David Lee, a supposition soon confirmed.

“I just keep going, trying to be aggressive,” Chandler said. “I’ve been struggling shooting jumpers, am trying to get some rim.”

Aggression comes easier to this 21-year-old than words.

“He keeps the same face, happy or sad, we never know what he’s thinking,” said Duhon, but the Knicks have reason to believe most of Chandler’s thoughts are not about what he’s going to say to the media.

Among his gifts is not one for gab, which might preclude him from playing for the Celtics.

Certainly if he’s going to be this good, and therefore in some media demand, it would help Chandler to put some effort into a second sentence, but only after he finishes his daily work on a jumper which went away, only to now return.

“Always one of the last guys to leave the gym,” said Al Harrington. “Anybody who works that hard with that kind of talent is scary.

“Time will tell how good he is going to be.”

Time won’t forgive Isiah Thomas too easily, but he got something right taking Chandler out of DePaul with the 23rd overall pick in 2007. And D’Antoni knew it quickly from his first extended look in summer league.

“His upside is huge,” said the coach, who of course, could use a little upside during a 13-19 start.

With Gallinari still in street clothes, with the Knicks having to show LeBron James or Dwyane Wade or whoever might eventually want to take their money that there are more reasons to come here than greater fame and increased fortune, a kid with these tools and willingness to polish them is an even a more glorious sight at a sore-eyed Garden than a bashing of the Celtics.